Civilizations test

Mesopotamia

the land between two rivers; modern-day Iraq

fertile cresent

region known for its rich and fertile soil, rivers overflow and leave behind minerals

Tigris and Euphrates

Mesopotamia; made land fertile and provided aquatic resources, promoted irrigation; overflowed and destroyed crops and homes

Sumer

1st city in Mesopotamia, writings from 3000bc

Sumerian

4500-1900bc; earliest known civilization made of city-states in Mesopotamia; advanced in writing, agriculture, city planning, math, and astronomy

Akkadian

2334-2154bc; Sargon the Great made 1st empire, established language as common tongue

Babylonian

1894-1595bc; empire based in Babylon and earliest known legal code

Hittite

1600-1180bc; established empire in Anatolia(present-day Turkey); known for military tech and diplomatic skills

Assyrian

1365-609bc; centered in Ashur, formidable military power; built empire through conquests and developed organized administrative systems

Neo-Babylonian

626-539bc; Nebuchadnezzar II revived glory of Babylon, known for architecture: Hanging Gardens

Achaemenid (Persian)

550-330bc; Cyrus the Great, largest and most influential empire, implemented administrative reforms and embraced culture

government in Sumer

royalty were descended from the City of Gods; priest-kings, then military-kings; governers collected taxes, enforced laws, called up soldiers, and supplied workers

Hammurabi

6th king of Babylonian Empire; code focuses on manners of conduct, fairness, and equality

agriculture in Sumer

land from each city-state was plotted out for farming and were irrigated through canals; wheat and barley flourished

trade in Sumer

transportation of textiles and crops to Asia Minor and Iran, exchanged for stone, metals, and timber

religion of Sumer

heaven and earth, between is lil(air); world below=nether world, life after death; An=god of heaven, Enlil=god of storm and air, Enki=lord of the water, Ninhursag=queen of the mountains

Social Stratification

Awilu=nobles, priests, government, warriors; Mushkenu=merchants, artisans; Wardu=slaves

women in Sumer

wife, mother, housekeeper; could own property and run businesses with husbands; priestesses, scribes, and physicians

inventions from Sumer

pottery-5000bc, wheel-4000bc, metallurgy, cuneiform, written law

timeline of Mesopotamia

became known as Sumer-3500-3000bc, making of clay tablets-3500bc, decline-2100bc

Indus Valley (Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro)

modern-day Pakistan; centered around Indus River; agricultural lands surrounded by highlands, deserts, and ocean; droughts or monsoons

government of Indus

centralized goverments, Theocracy-priest rules in name of a god

agriculture in Indus

silt-bearing floods made soil fertile; cotton-major crop, coins used for trade

religion in Indus

Hinduism started; Brahma=creator, Vishnu=protector, Shiva=destroyer; worshipped animals and practiced ritual bathing; buried dead, later cremated

caste system

Brahmins=priests and king, Kshatriyas=warriors and aristocrats, Vaishyas=cultivators, artisans, and merchants, Shudras=peasants and serfs, Pariah-untouchables, outcasts

women in Indus

child-bearing and household tasks, valued for ability to produce offspring and nurse; could entertain at palace; had some rights but couldn’t receive education or own land

inventions of Indus

system of uniform weights and measures, urban sanitation systems, Hinduism

timeline of Indus

rise-2500-1600bc, Great Bath constructed-2400bc, decline-1800 and 1500bc

Shang

1st civilization in China, succeeded the Xia

Yellow River and Jiang

Huango Ho-north, Yangtze-south

government in Shang

Shang Dynasty began around 1759bc, monarchy with an emperor; kings chosen from clan with biggest army, to rule 200-300 clans; lasted for 550

economy in Shang

agriculture, fishing, handicraft showed various techniques of that time

Simuwu Quadripod

most famous bronze work from this time, 832.84kg, largest and heaviest Chinese bronze vessel, signified advancements of artistry

inventions from Shang

porcelain, jade carvings, silk fabrics, role of commodity exchange dealer

religion in Shang

animism, veneration of ancestors, polytheism; Shangdi-god of human destiny and forces of nature, rulers offered sacrifices and called upon ancestors; Shang honored gods with public festivals, priests tried to predict future and interpret divine messages

Social Hierarchy of Shang

Shi-scholars and gentry, producers of knowledge; Nong-farmer peasants, producers of food; Gong-craftsmen and artisans, producers of useful products; Shang-merchants and traders, unable to produce

tomb of Lady Hao

reveals that Shang dynasty women could reach a high position, believed to have run military campaigns

Hua Mulan

female warrior who took father’s place in army, offered a position in the palace but turned it down

inventions of Shang

legalism-government based on skill, calligraphy, bronze tech

timeline of Shang

community along Yellow River thrived-2000bc; rise of dynasty-1750bc, decline-1122bc